Knitting mechanism



4, 1963 o. FREGEOLLE ETAL 3,

KNITTING MECHANISM 7 Filed larch 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 080A R FREG'EOLLE y HAROLD WHITE.

A T TORNE Y 1963 o. FREGEOLLE ETAL 3,

KNITTING lIECHANISII 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1962 INVEN TORS OSCAR PR5 k. MKM

GEOLLE. Mano/.0 M075.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,115,022 KNITTlNG MECHANEM Oscar Fregeolle, Lincoln, and Harold White, Cumberland, Rh, assignors to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Filed Mar. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 179,564 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-48) This invention pertains to independent needle knitting machines and, more particularly, to circular hosiery knitting machines and an improved picking and stitch cam control means therefor.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a picking and stitch cam control mechanism having a minimum number of parts that can be easily and quickly removed and replaced and which requires no periodic corrective adjustments for improved performance after its initial installation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a picking and stitch cam control means capable of effecting greater patterning possibilities than has heretofore been possible.

It is a further object of the invention and as a safety precaution to provide a control mechanism that will automatically place the picking member in an inoperative position free from interference with the knitting instrumentalities when the stitch cam associated therewith is withdrawn from the needle cylinder.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide a mechanism that is capable of moving short, medium or long butt needles from one selected pathway to another and depending on the patterning effect desired, and which is also capable of selectively placing or withdrawing certain picking members and the stitch cams associated therewith in increments outwardly from the needle cylinder to a position where only the long butts of the needles will be acted upon or to a still further position Where none of the moving butts will be afiected by said picking members and stitch cams.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

Picking needles selectively from one pathway to another as well as the Withdrawing of stitch cams to an inactive position is a common practice in most circular hosiery knitting machines; however, the means for performing these functions in machines of the prior art have been limited with respect to the patterning possibilities which present themselves with the mechanism of the instant invention.

Picks of the prior art were limited as to the number of needles that could be raised within a given distance because of the arc of travel through which they were caused to travel and the time required for a pick to move the necessary distance to perform its function and then return to its initial position.

Additionally, this are through which the pick is caused to travel does not permit said pick to raise needles having the shorter type of butts. If a short butt were selected to be raised, contact could be made, but the pick when caused to swing would separate from the butt it is picking before the needle affected by this movement had been displaced the necessary distance.

With regard to the moving of stitch cams to an inactive position, this was accomplished in mechanisms of the prior art by sliding the cam supporting members assembled in the cam block away from the needle cylinder or moving the entire cam block outwardly which then caused all cams assembled thereto to become inactive. Unlike the present invention, these arrangements did not permit the picking members to be also withdrawn to an inoperative position.

3,115,022 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 "Ice According to the mechanism of the instant invention a combined novel picking and stitch cam control means can now be provided which accomplishes the foregoing objects.

Applicants device includes a cam block having a pair of laterally and angularly directed cylindrical supporting members mounted therein. A stitch cam and bearing are fixedly positioned on each of the cylindrical members and an oscillatable pick supporting disc is mounted on each of the bearings. These pick supporting discs are caused to oscillate when contacted by the butts of the needles and are effective in raising one or more such butts to another pathway.

The cam block is selectively movable to an inactive position away from the needle cylinder and when so selected it automatically withdraws the stitch cam and pick to a position where they fail to act upon the butts of the needles. Additionally, an independent control means is provided whereby the cam block remains in normal operating position and at least one of the cylindrical supporting members can be caused to slide lengthwise with respect to its longitudinal axis, thus withdrawing the stitch cam and pick fixedly positioned thereon to an inactive position.

The invention will be described in detail by reference to specific embodiments thereof one of which is illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of the needle cylinder in section, the auxiliary cam block, the cylindrical stitch cam and pick supporting members assembled therein and a portion of the linkage utilized for controlling the stitch cams and pick supporting discs.

FIG. 2- is an end view of a portion of the cam block lookin in the direction of the indicating arrows 22 shown in FIG. 1;

HQ 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but looking in the direction of the indicating arrows 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view partially in section taken along line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of the cam block, its means of assembly to the cam plate and the stop member employed to control the distance the cam block is allowed to move toward the needle cylinder;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation showing the cam block, stitch cam pick supporting disc and a portion of the linkage for controlling the latter as seen looking in the direction of the indicating arrows 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the rear stitch cam and pick supporting disc withdrawn from the needle cylinder and butt engaging position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but showing the cam block withdrawn from the needle cylinder thus placing all cams assembled thereto as well as the front and rear pick supporting discs in a position where they are not permitted to act upon the butts of the knitting instrumentalities; 1

FIG. 10 is a view in side elevation looking in the direc tion of the indicating arrows lit-16 of FIG. 9 showing the linkage for moving the cam block to and from operating position as well as the linkage for moving only the rear stitch cam and pick supporting disc to and from butt engaging position;

FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation and on an enlarged scale showing a portion of the cam block, the rear stitch cam and oscillating pick assembled thereto, their relationship to the center and guard cams, the various positions the pick is caused to assume when displacing certain needles and the resilient means which constantly urges this member toward butt engaging position;

FIG. 12 is a view partially in section taken along line 1212 of FIG. 8.

Referring now to the figures of drawings, FIG. 1 shows in section a portion of a needle cylinder generally indicated by numeral 20. A cam plate 21 extends about the circumference of the cylinder and is positioned below the top surface thereof. Immediately adjacent to cylinder 20, cam plate 21 supports a cam block 22 which is slidable selectively toward and away from said cylinder. This movement of the cam block is guided by means of a cam block slide 23, the upper half of which assembles in a centrally disposed recess formed on the underside of said cam block and the lower half of this member is adapted to be received by a laterally extending recess 24 provided in the cam plate 21 and serves as a track for guiding said block toward or away from the needle cylinder 20.

The body portion of cam block 22 extends forwardly and rearwardly of recess 24, and its upper portion being generally wedge-shaped the forward and rearward upper ends taper inwardly in the general direction of the centerline axis of the needle cylinder as at 25 and 26. These portions of the cam block are provided with openings extending therethrough which are adapted to receive therein cylindrical supporting members 27 and 28, respectively. The inner ends of the supporting members 27 and 28 are provided with integrally formed stitch cams 29 and 30 which are caused to act upon the butts of the knitting instrumentalities in a manner well known to those conversant in the art. Rearwardly of the stitch cams and contiguous therewith the supporting members are provided with fixedly positioned bearings preferably of the anti-friction type such as 31 shown in FIG. 4.

Oscillatable discs 32 and 33 are mounted on these bearings 31 and include detachable pick members 34 and 35, respectively, assembled to the outer periphery thereof by means of screws 36 and 37.

The anti-friction bearings 31 assure smooth and positive oscillation of the picks 34 and when contacted by the needle butts, and depending on the length of the step portion 38 of the pick, FIG. 11, it is capable of raising one or more needles to another pathway. The pick supporting disc members are continually being urged to the butt engaging position by a resilient means which comprises a coil spring 39 that is adapted to have one end thereof assemble within the circumferential grooves 40 and 41 which form a part of the outer circumference of said disc members. The opposite end of spring 39 is attached to the base portion of cam block 22 by means of a screw 42 as shown in FIG. 11.

In addition to the stitch cams 29 and 30 the cam block 22 further supports a center cam 43 and a guard cam 44. These cams are fixedly positioned on the cam block and when the latter is selectively withdrawn from the needle cylinder, all cams supported by said block as well as the pick members 34 and 35 are placed in a position where they are unable to act upon the butts of the knitting instrumentalities.

As heretofore described the cam block is guided during its sliding movement toward and away from the needle cylinder 20 by means of a cam block slide 23 having its upper portion assembled in a recess formed on the underside of said cam block and the lower half of said slide member seated in the laterally extending recess 24 provided in the cam plate 21. Additionally, hold down cleat members 45 and 46 having a generally L-shaped crosssectional configuration are utilized to retain the cam block on the cam plate and are adjustably assembled to the front and rear sides of said cam plate by means of cap screws 47 and 48, respectively, passing through slots provided on the vertical portion of said cleat members. The horizontal portion of cleat members 45 and 46 overlie the base portion of the cam block and being in close proximity therewith, they serve to restrict upward movement of said cam block.

The rear side of the cam blocks base portion is provided with a stop member 49 which is adjustably as embled thereto by means of screws 50. This stop member includes a downwardly extending step portion 51 that forms the trailing end of said stop member and during the inward movement of the cam block, this step portion is caused to contact the outer side of the cam plate as at 52 in FIG. 5 thereby controlling distance said block is allowed to move toward the needle cylinder.

Cam block 22 is continually being urged toward the needle cylinder by means of a spring biased plunger 53 whose head portion is caused to bear against the inner wall 54 of the yarn change lever bracket.

The cylindrical supporting member 28 is fixedly positioned within the forward body portion of the cam block 22 by means of set screws 55 and 56 and includes a generally circular oscillatable plate-like disc 57 assembled on that portion of said member 28 which protrudes from the outer side of said cam block. A second plate-like disc 58 assembles on the supporting member 28 and is positioned between the oscillatable disc 33 and the body portion of the cam block 22. Both plate-like discs 57 and 58 are integrally connected by a bridge member 59 which extends above and in spaced relationship to the cam block and are thereby caused to move in unison. This bridge member includes an upwardly extending linkage connection ear 69 to which one end of a link rod 61 is attached.

The lower part of the plate-like disc 58 is provided with a cutaway portion defining a step which is adapted to engage a stud member 63 that is located on and protrudes from that side of the oscillatable disc 33 facing the cam block 22. This disc 33 is freely oscillatable when contacted by the moving butts of the knitting instrumentalities to transfer one or more of the same to another pathway; however, if it is desired to withdraw the pick member from butt engaging position, various control means are provided for effecting the withdrawal such as disclosed, for example, in patent application serial No. 169,381, filed Janary 29, 1962. One way by which this may be accomplished is by deriving an indication from the main pattern shaft (not shown) through a disc cam lever and further linkage (not shown) assembled thereto and which are interconnected with link rod 61 causing the same to move in the direction of the indicating arrow in FIG. 3. Movement of the linkage connection ear to the dotted line position in FIG. 3 causes the step provided in disc 53 to contact stud member 63, moving the same a distance sufficient to place pick member 35 in a position where it will fail to contact the needle butts.

FIG. 8 shows the cam block 22 and the forward stitch cam 30 in that position where they are caused to act upon the butts 64 of the needles moving in the direction of the indicating arrow in FIG. 11. The rear stitch cam 29 along with the oscillatable pick supporting disc 32 are shown withdrawn from the needle cylinder to a position where they fail to act upon the butts of the knitting instrumentalities. This being a preferred embodiment of the invention, it permits greater patterning possibilities than has heretofore been possible. Although by way of illustration only the rear stitch cam 29 and the pick supporting disc 32 are shown withdrawn to an inactive position (FIG. 8), it is to be understood that if desired either or both rear and front stitch cams and picks can be selectively withdrawn to inactive positions leaving the cam block and the earns 43 and 44 fixedly positioned thereon in butt engaging position.

The rear upper portion of the cam block 25 which tapers inwardly in the general direction of the centerline axis of the needle cylinder, has a portion removed along the length thereof exposing the side of the cylindrical supporting member 27 which is slidably assembled within said cam block. That portion of cam block 22 which houses the cylindrical supporting member 27 as well as the base portion of said block has been reduced in length as defined in FIGS. 1 and 9 by lines 65 and 66, respectively. This reduction in length to that portion of the block permits the selective withdrawing of stitch cam 29 along with the pick supporting disc 32 from butt engaging position while said cam block, front stitch cam 30, and pick supporting disc 33 remain in operating position.

A generally rectangular shaped plate 67 is positioned in close proximity to that part of the cam block 25 which has a portion removed exposing the cylindrical supporting member 27 and is attached to the latter intermediate its ends by means of cap screws 68 and 69 passing through spaced apertures in said plate and thence into aligned tapped holes provided in said cylindrical supporting member 27. Plate 67 being movable with supporting member 27 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a spring retaining bracket 70 assembled to the lower and inner end thereof by means of screws 71 for anchoring one end of spring 39 utilized in urging the pick supporting disc to butt engaging position. Unlike the front pick supporting disc, spring 39 is anchored in this manner so as to permit this member along with the various components associated therewith to move in unison when selectively being withdrawn from operating position. The lower rear portion of plate 67 is provided with an adjustable overthrow stop member 72 which is attached thereto by means of screws 73. This stop member is provided with an adjustable screw 72' which serves as a means for positioning the pick for contact with the needle butts. This means of rotating disc 32 is substantially the same as that utilized for the front pick supporting disc 33 and includes plate-like discs 74 and 75 on those ends of the cylindrical supporting member which protrude from the cam block. These discs being in close proximity to the cam block are interconnected by a bridge member 76 which extends above and in spaced relationship to said block. Bridge member 76 includes an upwardly extending linkage connection car 77 to which one end of a link rod 78 is attached. This link rod is caused to function in the same manner as link rod 61 and further elaboration on the same is considered unnecessary. The plate-like disc 75 being substantially the same structurally as disc 58 is provided with a cutaway portion at its lower extremity defining a step 62' which is adapted to engage a stud member 63 that is located on and protrudes from that side of the oscillatable disc 32 facing the cam block 22.

The control linkage utilized for withdrawing only stitch cam 2? along with the pick support disc 32 from butt engaging position includes an upwardly and angularly directed stud member 79 assembled to the outermost end of the cylindrical supporting member 27. One end of a linkage connection arm 80 is pivotally attached to the upper end of stud member 79 by means of a screw 81 and the opposite end is pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 82.

This bell crank lever 82 is pivotally attached to the side of the yarn change lever bracket in a known manner and has a vertically disposed adjustable link rod 83 pivotally connected to its second arm as at 84.

The link rod 83 is actuated by having its opposite end (not shown) attached to a first arm of a double armed lever which is commonly referred to as a disc cam lever, and the second arm of this lever serves as a cam follower and is caused to reciprocate vertically as it follows the pattern control drum.

The control linkage utilized to withdraw the complete cam block along with the various components assembled thereto from butt engaging position functions in a manner very similar to the aforementioned means for withdrawing the rear stitch cam 29 and the oscillatable pick supporting disc 32 from operating position. It includes a bell crank lever 85 pivotally attached to the side of the yarn change lever bracket with a link connecting arm 86 pivotally connected to one arm of said lever by means of a screw 87 and its opposite end to the base portion of the cam block by means of a screw 88. The second arm of the bell crank lever is provided with a vertically disposed adjustable link rod 88 which is actuated in the same manner as link rod 83 from the pattern control drum. This mechanism can also be manually controlled by depressing a thumb lever 89 which is fixedly positioned on the upper arm of bell crank lever 85. A spring biased cam block stop 90 is movable with the bell crank lever 85. It is pivoted adjacent one end on stud 91 which also positions lever and includes an outwardly directed lug portion 92 which extends beneath and in contact with the second arm of said lever 85.

A coil spring 93 is attached in any suitable manner intermediate the ends of this stop member and has its opposite end attached to the lower side of the yarn change lever bracket. When an indication is given to withdraw the cam block, link rod 88 will pull the second arm of lever 85 downwardly; this in turn will lift the cam block stop, expanding spring 93, and permit said cam block to be moved the necessary distance. When the cam block is allowed to move inwardly to butt engaging position, the retraction of coil spring 93 causes the stop member 96 to be drawn into a position where it prevents undesired movement of said cam block.

In operation the knitting instrumentalities are caused to function in a manner well known to those familiar with the art; however, the novel means of being able to selectively withdraw either or both of the stitch cams along with the oscillatable pick supporting discs in increments outwardly from the needle cylinder while the cam block itself remains in operating position, permits a wider range of needle selection and permits the knitting of patterns not heretofore possible.

Varying the height of the main pattern drum cams which are caused to act upon a disc cam lever which in turn transfers its dictates to the vertically disposed link rod 83, permits the stitch cam and pick associated therewith to be withdrawn in increments, the first position of which allows the long butt needles only to be moved to another pathway. Further movement places the cam and pick completely out of butt engaging position and as not heretofore possible, the picking member is automatically placed in a position free from interference with the knitting instrumentalities.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. For a circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combination a rotatable needle cylinder, knitting instrumentalities slidable in said cylinder, a cam block having a pair of laterally spaced and angularly directed cylindrical supporting members mounted therein, a stitch cam and bearing juxtapositioned on each of said cylindrical supporting members, a disc-like pick supporting member mounted on each of said bearings effective upon movement thereof to raise at least one of said knitting instrumentalities to another pathway, said cam block being movable selectively toward and away from said needle cylinder and an independent control means for selectively moving at least one of said cylindrical supporting members within said cam block toward or away from said needle cylinder.

2. For a circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combination a rotatable needle cylinder, knitting instrumentalities slidable in said cylinder, a cam block having a pair of laterally spaced and angularly directed cylindrical supporting members mounted therein, a stitch cam and bearing fixedly juxtaposed on each of said cylindrical supporting members, a pick supporting disc mounted on each of said bearings effective upon movement thereof to raise at least one of said knitting instrumentalities to another pathway, said cam block being movable selectively toward and away from said needle cylinder wherein said stitch cam and pick supporting disc are simultaneously withdrawn from or placed in a position to act upon said knitting instrumentalities, and a separate control means for selectively moving at least one of said cylindrical supporting members within said cam block toward or away from said needle cylinder.

3. A cam block having a pair of laterally spaced and angularly directed cylindrical supporting members mounted therein, a stitch cam and an oscillatable pick supporting disc fixedly positioned in close proximity on each of said cylindrical supporting members, at least one of said members being slidable longitudinally within said cam block.

4. A cam block having a pair of laterally spaced and angularly directed cylindrical supporting members mounted therein, a stitch cam and as oscillatable pick supporting disc fixedly positioned in close proximity on each of said cylindrical supporting members, at least one of said members being slidable longitudinally within said cam block, and an independent control means for moving said member to and from an inactive position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,218 Paxton et a1 June 12, 1894 FOREIGN PATENTS 567,990 Italy Oct. 17, 1957 

1. FOR A CIRCULAR, INDEPENDENT NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE HAVING IN COMBINATION A ROTATABLE NEEDLE CYLINDER, KNITTING INSTRUMENTALITIES SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, A CAM BLOCK HAVING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED AND ANGULARLY DIRECTED CYLINDRICAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS MOUNTED THEREIN, A STITCH CAM AND BEARING JUXTAPOSITIONED ON EACH OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS, A DISC-LIKE PICK SUPPORTING MEMBER MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID BEARINGS EFFECTIVE UPON MOVEMENT THEREOF TO RAISE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID KNITTING INSTRUMENTALITIES TO ANOTHER PATHWAY, SAID CAM BLOCK BEING MOVABLE SELECTIVELY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID 